“At some point, you gotta let go, and sit still, and allow contentment to come to you.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love
I am high! The drug of choice is called Contentment. In Sanskrit, contentment is Santosa or Santosha. It means, "completely content with, or satisfied with, accepting and comfortable".
For the last few years, I have been fighting an imperfect body and the stigma that I assigned to that imperfect body. I have relayed to some of my confidantes that I viewed my myriad of orthopedic issues as a sign of weakness. As a defect. Imperfection at its finest!
But, guess what? I have flipped the script. I've done this with lots of practice - yoga that is. For me, yoga is this perfect combo of exercise, mindfulness and positive self-talk blended with voices that reaffirm the importance of honoring my body. It is, after all, what I have been given and what I live in.
And, because my body is freaking amazing and resilient through its imperfection and because I have a team of hip healers, I just completed my requirements to be considered a 200 hour yoga certified teacher. One of the class assignments was to focus on a Yama or Niyama and write about it. So what the heck are Yamas and Niyamas? Essentially, they give guidance about how to live life to its fullest - by encouraging you to embrace a quality or even to avoid certain behaviors. I chose the Niyama, Santosa, as I have really been working on being content with my body's challenges. I have worked on being in a good spot to accept that my flawed body is perfect in spite of its imperfections.
"Words are attached to meaning
and are not only the sum of blended sounds.
Words are music for the heart, soul and mind
which are the gifts of believing and redeeming.
The melody of idioms are the crowns
of the Niyamas, Yamas and a way to hope and incline.
My practice, my mind, my body cleaning
as grace and resilience cause me to be found.
With my favored Niyama, Santosa, I have found a remind
that my peace and contentment is a healing.
Through my imperfections, flaws, perspective, I abound.
I will seek out peace and joy to define
my breath and my now as a convening
to being united with others who beat down
their own struggles and inner voices to align.
With their own Yama, Niyama or beloved intervening,
and from my heart to yours, celebrate a proper noun
made out of Life, Love and Design."
- MC
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